Posts Tagged ‘habits’

Day 26: 50-day Challenge - We achieve when we FOCUS on what matters most!
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

What is the most important thing you can do today?

Make it a habit to ask yourself this question every morning when you wake up.

“What is the most important thing I can do today that will benefit me, my family, my life, my fellow man, my planet?”

Why should you ask yourself this question?
>> Because it matters.
>> Because we live in trying times and the answers are more critical than ever.
>> Because you need to get in the habit of defining “importance” in your life.
>> Because YOU “CAN” ask yourself this question.
>> Because you have probably “NOT” been asking this question enough.

Ask yourself this simple question every morning. “What is the most important thing I can do today?”

The answer does not have to be BIG. Sometimes the answer will seem small, but think about it carefully…it may be bigger than you think.

Here are some examples:
#1 You will help your daughter with her homework today.
Sound small? It’s not.
>> You are creating a lifelong bond with your child.
>> You are spending valuable time with your child, time that can be used to instill values in her
that can last a lifetime.

#2 You are fed up with your boss, you have decided that you are (finally) going to start your own business, break away from your job and become independent.
Obviously this is “VERY” important. It can change your life in many ways. It can bring you freedom.

It will require lots of work, planning, and strategies, but the rewards will be great. You will be filled with pride and increased self esteem.

(Just a quick note: I will be making a HUGE announcement in the next few days regarding this topic…..stay tuned.)

#3 You will workout this morning before going to work.
>> Your heart rate will increase, your heart will grow stronger.
>> Your skin, brain cells and all the cells in your body will receive more oxygen due to the increased blood flow that results from a cardio workout.
>> You will feel less depressed because science tells us that your brain will be flooded with endorphins. Endorphins make you feel euphoric, happy and powerful.

(Note that I always write my best work after I return from a swim workout. Why?
Because the euphoria that working out brings is always accompanied by increased creativity….guess what…as I write these words right now, I am feeling this increased mental clarity and increased creativity, because I worked out 1 hour prior to beginning this article.)

#4 You stop to help a stranger on the street who is down and out.
Believe it or not it is “YOU”, not the stranger who benefits the most when you help him/her.

Again, this may seem small and un-important but it make become the “MOST” important thing you do all day…after all, you don’t know how the rest of your day will go.

#5 You register to vote. Maybe you have never voted before. Maybe you will see an opportunity to get involved to help change the system instead of just being fed up with it. (no pun intended)

Many people gave their lives so that you would have the right to vote…how important is that?

Regardless of what you decide, the most important thing you can do today is simply ask the question. Ask the question everyday. Ask because you can. Ask because it matters. Ask because the answers will surprise you. Most important……..”ASK.”

Enjoy achieving what matters most to you today!
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

PS: Need help deciding how to be more effective with focusing on what matters most and deal with overwhelm, frustration and stress with so much to do and only 24hrs a day to do it ….click here NOW

Filed under: Goal Achievement, The 50-Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Shelley Taylor-Smith @ 1:28 pm
Day 19: 50-day Challenge; Danny Green’s physiology did all the talking!
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Danny Green made a name for himself and into Australian Boxing history last night when he stopped Roy Jones Jnr just two minutes into the first round of their fight in Sydney.

But it was his demeanor only a matter of minutes earlier that really set the scene for what was about to unfold. Danny Green walked out as cool as a cucumber. Relaxed and smiling with his “spinach” on his arm (his daughter), then patriotic as ever, he joined in with the thousands of passionate spectators and sang the national anthem.

And then it was all over with THAT punch in the first round! ”I didn’t surprise myself,” Danny Green said. ”We told everyone that if I caught him clean I would knock him out.”

The Green Machine celebrates

The Green Machine celebrates

Does your body language speak volumes? Do you win or lose in a matter of seconds and have no comprehension of what just happened….like Roy Jones Jnr this morning waking up thinking “did I just have bad dream”?

Imagine this all-too-familiar scenario:

You’re on your way to work. It’s been a hectic morning–you overslept your alarm, your kids were crying, you couldn’t find matching socks, and to top it all off, it’s pouring rain outside.

You stumble into the office and everyone knows you had a terrible morning and you’re in a bad mood.

How? Well, first of all, they can see it before you even say a single word.
That’s because your body language says everything about you–before you open your mouth.

>> If you see someone with their head down, shoulders drooping, staring at the floor, you would assume they’re in a bad mood.
>> If you saw someone smiling, head up, back straight, and making eye contact, you’d think they were having the best day ever.

Whether we like it or not, our body language, or our physiology, speaks for us.

Some people might say this is a bad thing–”everyone knows how I’m feeling just by looking at me!”
But I think it’s one of the greatest advantages you can have. Because it means YOU CAN CHOOSE how you feel….Just by changing your physiology. The next time you have a bad day, try picking your head up, straightening your shoulders, and walking like you mean it.

Smile. Make eye contact with people. Laugh. Watch as your mood begins to change. It really does work. And it gets even better.

I discovered a long-lost NLP (neurolinguistic programming) technique that uses physiology to create rapid behaviour change. This technique has been hiding inside of you…til now. And it is the same principle that I used to become 7-time Womens World Marathon Swimming Champion and the same that Danny Green will be remembered after his historic fight last night.

It uses that basic principle of “keeping your head up” and supercharges it… So that you can achieve anything you desire just by changing your physiology. Once you understand how your “Champion Physiological State of Excellence” works, you can use it for just about anything — Bad habits, low confidence, finding love, financial prosperity… You just have to dream it –and then use this simple technique to make it happen.

Find out your secret weapon behind your Champion Physiology that creates excellence… boost your self confidence & self belief through the roof, elminate your stagnant and stuck states, overcome past old limitations, lose the weight you want, quick those cigarettes once and for all…Get In the Zone again and be in control of your life…by programming YOUR mind for success!

Your Champion Action Today:

1. When you notice your physiology weaken with your shoulders dropping. pic your head up, straighten your shoulders, and walk like you mean it….like a Champion!

2. Think of Champions you know who hold their head up…and smile effortlessly. How do they do it?

3. Hang with Champions who connect with you; engaging eye contact, head up. Watch. Observe and Model their behaviour.

and remember:
if you don’t quit…you will make it!

Go for YOUR World Title Today
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

PS: Can’t pick you head up? First 3 people to email Shelley at: enquiries@championmindset.com.au with subject header: Shelley I need your help to teach me how to walk like a Champion! Offer expires midnight Thursday 3rd December 2009

Filed under: The 50-Day Challenge, Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Shelley Taylor-Smith @ 2:10 pm
Day 18: 50-day Challenge…. Do you have the bounce back factor?
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Do you have the B-B-B-B-Bounce????

Definition: Resilience is the ability of an object to return to its original form after being bent, stretched or compressed. Well that’s the dictionary’s definition of resilience.

For humans, it’s the ability to readily recover, to bounce back from setbacks, to overcome obstacles, to work though injury, to recover from ill health and to survive adversity.

Life can, and usually when we least expect it or need it, throw us a curve ball. Resilience has helped and will continue to help you on your life journey, both personally and professionally.

I wonder if Tiger Woods is feeling like he has the bounce-factor today?
An exert from The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, 30 November 2009 by Peter Stone reads:

As John Daly landed in Australia this week for the Australian Open he might just have permitted himself a half-smile when he heard news of Tiger Woods, saying to himself, ”Well, at least it isn’t me this time.” This year, Daly has been a model citizen of golf. Not one damaging headline, well, that’s if you excuse those outrageously lairy strides he is wearing!

Jack Newton says he prefers watching Daly play golf more than most other players . ”He’s pure excitement. He’s incredibly skilful. I think he is one of the great characters of the game and, at times, he gets some extremely unfair criticism. I am sure all the world’s top players would agree.”

A few of them do. Just a year ago, Stuart Appleby remarked that Daly has more talent in his little finger than Appleby himself has in his entire body. ”He is amazing and gifted,” he said.

Daly tells of sitting in a clubhouse in the US after practice having a beer and a yarn with mates when Woods came through in his workout gear on his way to the gym. ”Hey man, don’t you ever get tired of that workout shit? Why don’t you come over and have a few beers with us and hang out,” Daly called out to Woods. Woods replied: ”If I had your talent, John, I wouldn’t have to work out.”

But what is resilience all about? What has Tiger Woods and John Daly got to do with reslience? Well everything because you can have talent. You can have obstacles. But without self-discipline you will never work at it, bounce back and achieve your potential.

>> It takes a lot to do the things you do and not get caught up in the emotion of what may or may not happen
>> It takes great discipline to stick to the things you have to do, rather than the things you want to do
>> It takes great discipline to block out the negativity around you
>> It takes great discipline to not listen to that little voice inside your head that tells you that you are getting a raw deal, or is asking, ”Why is this happening to me?”
>> It takes great discipline to stay focussed on the task at hand
>> It takes great discipline to deal with the fear and anxiety surrounding what you have to go through
>> It takes great discipline to overcome fear and anxiety by knowing things will be good if you do what is right
>> It takes skill to know what is right; but it takes a whole lot more to actually be able to do the right thing

It’s also all about independence and self reliance.

Resilience teaches us that whether or not what happened was our fault is inconsequential. But what makes it right is your responsibility: to stand up above all, and everyone else and take responsibility to get yourself to where you need to be and beyond. It takes a lot of character and courage not to go down the self pity, lay blame, why did this happen to me scenario.

You take responsibility for what happened and you take responsibility to overcome it. This is independence and self reliance at its best. But at the same time, you work with the people around you to get the best possible result in the time frame that you have.

You go through the test of having to ask yourself the tough questions. You do what is required to have the true insight and understanding of what is needed to allow yourself and others to deal with this situation and deal with it properly. Therefore, resilience requires insight and understanding.

Basically you take responsibility for where things were and where you needed them to be.

** However resilience also requires inter-dependence. That is… you know that you are responsible and it is ultimately up to you, but you recognise that you will require the help of others. Therefore, your selection of people becomes vital, as does your ability to place trust in them by letting them do what they need to do to help you.

** Resilience requires perspective. Where are things at and where do you want them to go? What needs to be done and by whom? What timelines do you have? What happens if this happens? All of these questions and situations require understanding and perspective of the highest calibre.
** Resilience requires enterprise. That is the need to take control of the situation and do it in a way that requires energy and effort. Open-minded thinking. Enterprise to realise what it takes to get this back to where it should be … and beyond.

** Resilience requires imagination. Where are you at and what do you have to do to go forward? You need to be open minded to what it will take to get the job done.

** Resilience requires principle. There is an easy way, a hard way and the right way to deal with things. In your mind there is only one way, and that is to do the things the right way ; by following the principles of character that have guided you though life –the lessons and ideals that were taught to you by your parents and family.

In the end though, resilience is about turning what others call “failure” or “insurmountable” into Success. Resilience is about the ideology of never giving up. Resilience is about doing what it takes to get things done and to get them done the right way.

Therefore, resilience is not a part-time thought; it’s a full-time action.

and remember: if you don’t quit…you will make it!
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

PS: Is your Bounce Back Factor not as bouncy as it once was? Email Shelley at enquiries@championmindset.com.au with Subject Header: Shelley, I need help with my bounce back factor! and qualify to Pick Shelley’s Brain for Free! for 10mins.

Filed under: Inspirational Stuff, The 50-Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Shelley Taylor-Smith @ 11:25 am
Day 17: The 50-day Challenge: What’s Your Spinach?
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Danny Green knows it takes the right spinach!
”My spinach fly in tonight, so it’ll be all good then.

….My family, my kids, they’re my spinach. I’ve got Popeye’s forearms and they’re my spinach. I just want them to get here, have a few days with them before we rock and roll on Wednesday night. There’s nothing more I can do. We’ve studied the fight, analysed it, pulled it apart and picked it apart. I’ve just got to chill, stay cool, not overload the brain. There’s no point getting nervous or getting angry or uptight, but I am uptight, you know?”

Danny Green looked agitated. “I just want to fight,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday after attending another promotional function for, without a doubt, the most prestigious boxing event to take place in Australian history, against Roy Jones jnr on Wednesday night. “The wait is hard, trying to remain calm and patient ’till we get it on. I just need to surround myself with people who help me relax, give me a laugh.”

So what is your spinach? Who are the people, surroundings, events and/or experiences that get you ready-to-rumble for your upcoming presentation, media interview, job interview, career performance meeting, sales pitch, listing meeting, potential client, gym session, bootcamp session, 2hr swim workout with Shelley or your own big day, big endurance event like a triathlon, open water swim or half marathon?

It does not matter whether you are an elite whatever in your field; what does matter is that you know your spinach! What gets you going?

I’m ready to rumble, ready to rock, but I’ve done a lot of talking. I’ll keep these answers short and sharp like Danny Green’s combinations are guaranteed to be on Wednesday night.

It’s all about planning and ensuring you start off on the right foot, giving yourself the best chance of success.

Your Champion Action Today:

5 Taylor-Made Solutions to create your team SPINACH Spirit:

1. Define what your team stands for, define your Team SPINACH Spirit:

2. Discover who’s on your team – list your balcony people: your fans in the stands cheering you on!
(1) _________________________________________

(2) _________________________________________

(3) _________________________________________

(4) _________________________________________

(5) _________________________________________

3. What do these fans in the stands/your dream cheerers hold you accountable for?

(1) ______________________________________________

(2) ______________________________________________

(3) ______________________________________________

(4) ______________________________________________

(5) _______________________________________________

4. What WOW gratitude factor do I/we realise from my team?

Go for Your Gold!
and remember: if you don’t quit, you will make it!

Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

PS: Need me on your Team SPINACH Spirit! Email me with subject header: “I need to pick Shelley’s Brain as I do not know what I want or how to create the right people to support what I want!” to enquiries@championmindset.com.au First 3 people get to Pick Shelley’s Brain for 10mins.

Filed under: The 50-Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Shelley Taylor-Smith @ 1:18 pm
Day 16: The Power of Discipline, 50-day Challenge
Monday, November 30th, 2009

Self-discipline and self-motivation are joined at the hip.
Why is that?
When you practice self-discipline you feel like you are in control of your life.
You feel content and motivated because you’re moving toward your goals.

If I had to pick the #1 key to success, it would be…self-discipline. It is the difference in winning or losing; between greatness and mediocrity. Pure and Simple: Self-discipline is the key to personal greatness.

On the weekend I met with a dozen of “my” 40 open water / marathon swimmer enthusiasts after a two hour - 7km workout and gave them the opportunity to “Pick Shelley’s Brain” as I am currently coaching them for the upcoming Rottnest Channel 20km Marathon Swim set for 20 February 2010.

I shared how I got the nickname from my male competitors: “Dangerous When Wet” and shared ways to stay motivated and prepare with a Champion Mindset. I kept coming back to the most important 6 inches of the body (the distance between the ears) required to create the mental toughness to not give up at training nor during the upcoming Christmas holiday period!

After we had chatted for awhile, I got asked the question that many people in this situation would ask, “Of all the one thousand success principles that you have discovered, which do you think is the most important?”

I smiled at each and every one of them with a twinkle in my eye, just like I have been asked this question many times, and replied, without hesitating, “The most important success principle of all is: “Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.”

Now ain’t that the truth!

Kop Kopmeyer, a legend in the field of success and achievement said: “There are 999 other success principles that I have found in my reading and experience, but without self-discipline, none of them work.”

Self-discipline is the key to personal greatness. It is the magic quality that opens all doors for you, and makes everything else possible. With self-discipline, the average person can rise as far and as fast as his talents and intelligence can take him. But without self-discipline, a person with every blessing of background, education and opportunity will seldom rise above mediocrity.

Your Champion Action Today:

1. What self-discipline habit do you need to start or stick at to achieve your goal today?

2. Check what have you given up on or was gonna’ do but never got around to. Is there a pattern of similar behaviour? Is there a lack of self-discipline?

3. List what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not …which will create self-discipline and ensure success for YOU.

and remember: if you don’t quit…you will make it!

Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

PS: If you’re struggling with self-discpline, you’re not alone! Why not “Pick Shelley’s Brain” for 10mins and see if Shelley is the ideal self development coach for you to discover your Motivation, Mindset and Mental Toughness. For the next 24hrs the first 10 people who email enquiries@championmindset.com.au and put in the subject header: “Shelley I want to pick your brain and get help with my lack of self discipline!” will get that opportunity for free for 10mins. Offer expires midnight Monday 30th November Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Filed under: The 50-Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Shelley Taylor-Smith @ 11:56 am